Sheet-metal culvert.



G. H. OHARLS.

SHEET METAL CULVERT.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 14, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Witnesses Inventor MRS GEORGE HERBERT CHARLS, OF MEDBLETOWN, OHIO,ASSIGNOR, TO THE AMERICAN ROLLING HILL COMPANY,- 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-METAL CULVERT.

esa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. so, 1913.

Application filed August 14, 1918. Serial No. 784,676.

cient facilities for joining the sections, and

to provide facilities for conveniently varying the. length of a culvertbuilt up of asembled sections, and to secure superior strength in theculvert,

After the sections of a corrugated sheet metal culvert have beenproduced in the shop it very frequently happens that, in the process ofhandling and s ipping, the thin sheet metal edges of the-ends of thesesections become so distorted, by rough handling, th at much trouble isexperienced in so correcting the defects that the joints betweenthesections can be properly made. Again, when the sections ofacorrugated sheet metal culvert have been delivered at the lace of use,it'is often found, in assembiling and joiningthe sections, that the,situation of use may call for a total length varying more or less fromthe original intention. Again, in assembling and joining the sections atthe place of use it is of high im ortance that the joints be well formedandof adequate strength, especially in culverts involving considerabletotal length. Very often, in corrugated sheet me a1 culverts .ofconsiderable length,'the co ditions of support, as, by themovement of.the underl-ylng'dirt, may so change as to cause the culvert-to besubjected to serious. deflective strains tending to disorganize thejoints between the sectlons.

. Corrugated sheet metal culverts vary in diameter om six or seveninches to six or seven feet and are-formed of sections about two feetlong, the ends of adjoining sections being riveted together. Thesesections I will term unit sections, and under ordinarycircumstancesenough of these unit sections are riveted together to formthe desired .co'mprlses two minor sections.

length of culvert or such portions of it as may be convenientlytransported. In my improved construction, when conditions call for it, Iunite several of these unit sections in the usual manner to form what Iwill term a minor section. I then unite a couple of these minor sectionsto form a major section with a specially strong-joint and in doing so Iprovide for varying the length of the culvert in degrees less than thelength of aunit section. I then unite the pair of major sections by aconveniently formed joint of peculiar strength which latter joint orcoupling may, if desired, be applied in unlting the minor sections toeach other.

My invention will be readily understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which v Figure 1 isa side elevation of a culvert exemplifying my invention in a formcomprising two major sections, each of which Fig. 2 a

;longitudinal section through the joint unit.- .ing the twomajorsections, the section of this figure, being in the plane of line a ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through 5 the joint uniting thetwo minor sections, the section of the figure being in the plane of-l1ne d of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a longitudinal section at one end of theculvert in the plane of line b of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 a longitudinalsection at one end of the culvert in the plane of line of of Fig. 1.

In the drawing -1 and 2 indicate two ;unit sections, united in .theusual manner, .1 and formmg a mlnor section: 3 and 4 two SlIfifi-I' unitsections similarly united and for in a second minor section, which minorsection s united, as hereinafter described, to the first minor sectionto form a major section: 5, 6, 7.and 8, four unit sections arrangedsimilarly to those of the first major section and forming the secondmajor section which'is united, as will be later explained, to the firstmajor section: 9, a rodded reinforcement at the outer end of section 1:10, a rodded reinforcement at the outer end of section 8: 11, roddedreinforcements at the an open joint-band encirclin the joint betweensections 4 and 5 an clasping the rodded reinforcements 11 and the firstcorrugations outwardly beyond them: 13, ears projecting outwardly fromjoint-band 12: 14, draw-bolts engaging these ears and serving to drawthe joint-band tightly to place: and 15, the joints-between unitsections 2 and S, and also between unit sections 6 and 7.

Giving consideration to the major section formed by the unit sections 1,2, 3 and 4, the joint between the two minor sections forming this majorsection is formed, as indicated in Fig. 3, by causing the corrugatedmetal of one section to so far overlap the corrugated metal of the othersection as to bring about an extended length of double thickness at thejoint, this double thickness comprising several of the corrugations, thenumber of corrugations overlapped being varied to permit of variationsin the length of the culvert.- Considering this right-hand major sectionof the culvert it will be seen to represent a beam strongest at a pointintermedlate in its length, and, similarly, with the major section atthe left hand end of the culvert.

The joint-band 12 uniting thetwo major sections, is to be preferably ofreater thickness than that of the general on vert, and the overlappingof this j oint-band upon the two rodded reinforcements 11 and upon thecontiguous corrugations of the culvert, produces a joint easily appliedand of great strength.

Considering the entire culvert it is seen to represent a beam ofextraordinary strength at an intermediate point.

The rodded reinforcements at the ends of the culvert, or at the endswhere the joint is made by the j oint-band 12, may be formed in variousWays, their particular construction not forming part of my invention.The rodded reinforcements may be formed by inclosing the rod in anintegral roll formed on the end of the section, as indicated at. 9 inFigs. 1 and 4; or they may be formed by securing the rod in a rollformed in a separate band secured to the end of the section,

as indicated at 10 in Figs. 1 and 5, either of these constructions ofrodded reinforcement being applicable wherever rodded reinforcements arerequired about the culvert.

In practice with culverts of ordinary length the two major sections maybe shipped separately and very conveniently coupled up in the field, or,if desired, the minor section may be left separate and united in thefield. 1

It is to be observed that not only does the completed culvert representa structure of great strength having well guarded-ends, and convenientof erection, but also that in the prior handling and shipping of the major sections all the ends are guarded against mutilation so that theexposed ends of the completed culvert are in good shape and the coupledends in good form for the reception of the joint-band. It is also to beobserved that the rodded reinforcements on the culvert-portions areavailable as mere guards for the extreme ends of the culvert or aselements to operate in conjunction with the draw-band. p I

While I have set forth a culvert formed of two united major sectionseach formed of two united minor sections, it is to be understood thatthe system of construction may be applied to culverts having a number ofsections greater or less than that set forth.

I claim 1. A circumferentially corrugated sheet. metal culvertcomprising, a pair of sections having rodded reinforcements at theirabutting ends, an open joint-band clasping said abutting roddedreinforcements, and drawbolts for forcing said joint-band to place,combined substantially as set forth.

2. A circumferentially corrugated sheet metal culvert comprising, a pair.of sections having rodded reinforcements at their abutting ends, anopen joint-band clas ing said abutting rodded reinforcements an thecorrugations contiguous thereto, and draw-bolts for forcing saidjoint-band to place, combined substantially as set forth.

3. A circumferentially corrugated sheet metal culvert comprising, a'pair of sections each having rodded reinforcements at each'95 of itsends, an open joint-band adapted to clasp the rodded reinforcementswhich may be placed in abutting relationship," and draw-bolts forforcing said joint-band to place, combined substantially as setfor'tli'f 1. A circumferentially corrugated sheet metal culvertcomprising, a pair of sections each having a rodded reinforcement ateach of its ends, an open 'oint-band adapted to clasp the rodded reinorcements which may -be placed in abutting relationship and thecorrugations contiguous thereto, and drawbolts for forcing saidjoint-band to place combined substantially as set forth.

5. A circumferentially corrugated sheet metal culvertcomprising, a firstplurality of minor sections secured together by a joint in which the endof one section surrounds the end of the other section and overlaps aplurality of'the corrugations thereof to form a major section, a secondsimilar major section, an open joint-band claspin the abutting ends ofthe major sections, an draw-bolts for forcingsaid joint-band to place,combined substantially as set forth.

6. A circumferentially corrugated sheet metal culvert comprising, afirst plurality of minor sections secured together by ajoint in whichthe end of one section surrounds the end of the other section andoverlaps a plurality of the corrugations 1 thereof to form a majorsection, a second similar major section, rodded reinforcements -on thecontiguous ends of the major sections, an

open draw-band adapted to clasp said rodded reinforcements, anddraw-bolts for tiguous ends'of the sections, an open drawforcing saiddraw-band to-- place,-eombined band elaspingsaid abutting roddedrelusubstantially as set forth. forcements and the corrugationscontlguous 7. A circumferentially corrugated sheet thereto, anddraw-bolts for forcmg said 15 5 metal culvert comprising, a firstplurality of joint-band to place, combined substantially minoisfictilons sgcuied together-by a joist as set forth. in w ie t e en 0onesection surroun s the end of the other section and ov erla s a GEORGEHERBERT CHARLS' plurality of the corrugations thereo? to Witnesses; 10form a major section, a second similar major L. Krma,

section, rodded reinforcements on the 0011-- A. P. Pnnm

